florida_guy gets serious

[florida_guy]

Well I just called Honda about the transmission cooler issue. The woman I talked to said that it was the dealers decision based on their diagnostics whether the transmission problem was caused by towing without a cooler on the vehicle and that Honda of America will stand by the dealers decision.

[florida_guy]

Well, I'm off for my hour long test drive. After your valuable input I don't expect to buy the car on this trip unless he lowers the price. Any advice would be appreciated. I'll report when I get back. This is stressful and it's great to have knowledgeable friends to bounce this stuff off of.

[Pilot4Biking]

florida-guy, get any sleep last night?? You are pretty close to getting a good deal.

1) Keep the trade in and sell it to some starving college kid for $1500 or so.

2) Let the dealer keep the stupid $499 doc fee, but ask him to throw in the CD changer, cargo cover, cargo liner and splash guards for free.

3) Don't pay for any wheel locks either. I didn't see it listed, but they are typically already installed on the car when the dealer gets it. It's more of a pain for them to take them off then to just give them to you for free.

I know this seems like a lot to ask for and they may cough, gasp and sigh when they hear it, but they want this sale bad enough they at least can meet you in the middle and give you a few of them. It worked for me. I got the running boards, wheel locks, cargo cover, splash guards and the "Touch of Class" free when I negotiated.

Go get 'em Tiger!!!

[robrecht]

Originally posted by florida_guy
Well, I'm off for my hour long test drive. After your valuable input I don't expect to buy the car on this trip unless he lowers the price. Any advice would be appreciated. I'll report when I get back. This is stressful and it's great to have knowledgeable friends to bounce this stuff off of.

scrunch, scrunch ... scrunch, scrunch ...

[colorider]

Originally posted by florida_guy
Well I just called Honda about the transmission cooler issue. The woman I talked to said that it was the dealers decision based on their diagnostics whether the transmission problem was caused by towing without a cooler on the vehicle and that Honda of America will stand by the dealers decision.

If Honda sells the hitch separate - which they do, then I would think the burden of proof is on them. IF a problem ever did arise, you can simply tell them that you installed the hitch for bike carriers. You don't even own a trailer!!!

[robrecht]

Originally posted by colorider


If Honda sells the hitch separate - which they do, then I would think the burden of proof is on them. IF a problem ever did arise, you can simply tell them that you installed the hitch for bike carriers. You don't even own a trailer!!!

In the end it may matter less on what you and I think and more on what the dealer says and does. A good relationship with a dealer may help, but ultimately the burden of proof may need to be tested and it doesn't sound as if American Honda will take your side. I agree with you. I agree. I agree. I agree. The trick may be getting your dealer to agree with you IF there's ever a transmission problem, which there probably won't be, and even if there is, it won't be because of bike racks or Uhauls.

[FLPilot]

Originally posted by florida_guy

Thanks a lot FLPilot. I was going to do that in the morning. I am not in a big rush for the accesories except for the cargo cover to hide my stuff.

Do you have an opinion on the price I'm paying for the vehicle? There seems to be a consensus that it's high but I have been reading here that people are still paying close to MSRP and I"m not, unless I'm missing something.

Buy the way... Welcome back!!! I wasn't on here much when you are gone. When things settle down I'll have to read the vacation reports I'm sure you posted here somewhere.

Thanks FL_Guy, glad to be back actually. It was a fun trip, mostly family, girl friend's family, and tons of friends. No real pictures or stories to tell so I did not post anything except a picture of my twin Pilot I got in Ohio.

Like I told you before if you have someone that has a Sam's or Costco membership, check out their car buying program. I know after I bought mine at MSRP with no extra fees (haha) I got a call from Coral Springs Auto Mall offering me the same model for almost 2 grand less. If you are seriously intrested I would maybe call them up at 954-755-7400 and ask for internet sales or fleet sales. See what they can do for you. Not sure about the price that Cobra got, but I guess we can only take what people post on here at face value. Maybe you can try to get a hold of him/her via email or PM and see where they bought from.

As far as the hitch situation goes, I would say just buy the hitch afterwards. That's what I did and I am pulling waverunner. Oh yeah, I bought a waverunner! It's a 1997 Yamaha 1100 triple and it kicks...um, water in the air. I say buy it and install it and then don't worry about it.

[florida_guy]

Dear friends

Please do not respond to this message until you have read all of it.

I am now the proud and happy owner of a 2003 Pilot EX Sandstone with a cargo cover.

I received the deal I was offered yesterday with the exception that he gave me $800 for my old car. He had originally given me a range of $500 to $800. My Pilot had six miles on it when I drove it off the lot for its first test drive and 57 miles on it when I drove it off the lot as its owner. ALL of those miles were put on by me.

I am very appreciative of the input that I received last night and this morning after my post because it allowed me to analyze the concerns that were raised and speak to my fleet salesmen about some of them BEFORE I made my purchase.

I am comfortable that I made the right decision for me. I may have paid a bit more than I absolutely had to but I'm not convinced of that. I am not going to go into detail as to why I ultimately determined that the concerns raised did not justify further shopping and waiting because I do not want to generate a debate.


What I do want to do is enjoy this moment that as you all know took a lot of time and effort on my part (and many of yours) to arrive at.


In a word - It just felt right. I am very comfortable with my fleet salesman and the dealership. It is located halfway between where I work now and where our company will be moving to the end of next year. It is the closest Honda dealer to my home. The fleet salesman will be in my corner if I run into problems with service. And if that isn't enough then I can call the Auto Purchase Advisor from my Credit Union who has pull because of the volume of business he does with the dealership. These things give me peace of mind knowing that if I experience any of the known potential problems for Pilots they will be taken care of and there will be a minimum of inconvenience doing so. This peace of mind is worth paying more money for (if in fact I did).

I am going to spend the money I saved by not waiting for a 2004 on things that will give me more pleasure than a better horn and sliding seats that I may never use etc.

It took me this long to commit because these kinds of major decisions are very stressful for me and so I wait until it feels just right. After my test drive yesterday and my hour long drive this morning it felt right. When I test drove the Highlander a year ago it did not feel right.

I am a spiritual person and a series of events occurred in my life recently that I took as a sign this was the time.


My decision is made and I am at peace with it. Please do not try to convince me that I should not be. Rather let me enjoy the experience of owning this great new vehicle.


I am much more pleased with the stereo than I expected to be and have no plans to upgrade it at the moment. I rarely use my vehicles horn but I tried it and it sounded pretty much like my Accord. I have no complaints about it.

I will be looking into getting a CD changer, a StreetPilot, a trailer hitch, a hitch bike carrier, and possibly the fancy day/night mirror (primarily to have the nice compass).

I will be out of town Thursday through Labor day. I have to sign some papers at the credit union tomorrow. I am going to take the shuttle to the airport and leave my shiny new Pilot safely locked in my garage over the weekend.

I can not thank all of you enough for your advice and support throughout this six month process. The day that I and many of you have all been anticipating has arrived!

[jay]

Congratulations. Boy, this is definitely a "Pop a cold one, let's all have a group hug, read the manual, play with the toys" night.

[74PILOTMOM]

I am happy for you. You can be dang sure that you got a better deal than a LOT of people. Heck, I paid $30,550 or something before taxes and stuff, with NO accessories. There will always be someone who got a better deal. Who cares. Think about how much car you got for the cash. You will love it, and in the end you'll end up with a low mileage '03 Pilot.
I'm glad you like the sound system. It seems to be powerful, but that huge cabin is hard to fill with perfect acoustics, put in your favorite CD and just cruise around, and enjoy it. I don't think anyone here is going to slam you, you finally did it! Waiting until it felt right IS the right thing to do. Not owning an '04 just to say you have an '04.
Congratulations!
Aimee

[TheWorm]

[colorider]

Originally posted by florida_guy
Dear friends


My decision is made and I am at peace with it. Please do not try to convince me that I should not be. Rather let me enjoy the experience of owning this great new vehicle.

Go in peace, my son!!!

BTW, you DID pick the BEST color!!!

[Twinkie]

Woo Hoo! Atta boy Florida_Guy! No regrets here either!

Now if you are like the rest of us, we don't expect to hear much from you for a while as you go on your honeymoon....

For the record, that was 1,237 posts before he purchased his Pilot.

[guitarman]

Congratulations!!!

"While we are postponing, life speeds by."
- Seneca (3BC - 65AD)

[smurray]

I was starting to wonder if this day would ever come. Congratulations florida_guy! You made a wise choice and you are happy with the deal. Who could ask for anything more?

How are you going to be able to sleep knowing your Pilot is sitting at home waiting for you?

I hope recent events in your life work out for the best, they sure are on the right track now.

Once again congratulations and let me be the first to say it's about time Just kidding. You patiently weighed your options and waited until you were comfortable with the decision. There is something to be said for that! Much better than the impulse buyers who cannot sleep the night after a purchase wondering if they made the right decision.